Information Curation

For John, BLUF:  The Federal Government wants to control messaging out on the public airways, including Social Medial.  They may think they are doing good, but their approach is evil.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Whistleblower Docs:  DHS’s Disinfo Board Was Poised to Crack Down on Information Questioning Vaccines, Masks, and Validity of 2020 Election

From American Greatness, by Ms Debra Heine, 9 June 2022.

Here is the lede plus two:

The Department of Homeland Security’s paused “Disinformation Governance Board” (DGB) was set up to respond to matters the government unilaterally determined to be mis-, dis- or mal-information (MDM)—specifically information that counters official regime narratives on “the origins and effects of COVID-19 vaccines,” “the efficacy of masks,” the validity of the 2020 election,” and “falsehoods surrounding U.S. Government immigration policy,” records obtained by Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reveal.

A DHS whistleblower provided the senators with internal DHS documents revealing how the board planned to coordinate with social media platforms to enable the removal of user content it deemed to be “MDM.”

“The First Amendment of the Constitution was designed precisely so that the government could not censor opposing viewpoints – even if those viewpoints were false.  DHS should not in any way seek to enlist the private sector to curb or silence opposing viewpoints.  It is therefore imperative for DHS to provide additional clarity regarding its policies and procedures for identifying and addressing ‘MDM,’ as well as its efforts to ‘operationalize’ public-private partnerships and the steps it is taking to ensure that it does not infringe on the constitutional rights of American citizens,” Senators Hawley and Grassley wrote in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

It isn't that Government People are bad People.  My father, an Uncle, my two brothers and my three children have all worked for the Government at one time or are working for the Government now.  However, some folks believe they are doing "God's Work" and try to "help" too much.  For example, Ms Lois Lerner, from the IRS, thought she was doing a good thing, but it was, in the end, the wrong thing.  She didn't understand that the basis for our form of government is that a lot of folks can be wrong, but we pick our representatives and let them work it all out.  If the First Amendment means anything, it is that you have the right to express wrong ideas.  Sometimes we have elections to determine which ideas we will follow.  Ms Lerner either never learned that or forgot it, or learned the wrong lessons in Grade School about fair play.  However you see it, she doesn't understand America.  And that is sad.  And I am not so sure President Biden, Speaker Pelosi or Majority Leader Schumer do either.

The bottom line is that information Wants to be Free.  We should not be having Governments restricting it.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff